A multitude of laboratory immunoassay tests for analytes of interest are performed on biological samples for diagnosis, screening, disease staging, forensic analysis, pregnancy testing and drug testing, among others. While a few qualitative tests, such as pregnancy tests, have been reduced to simple kits for a patient's home use, the majority of quantitative tests still require the expertise of trained technicians in a laboratory setting using sophisticated instruments. Laboratory testing increases the cost of analysis and delays the patient's receipt of the results. In many circumstances, this delay can be detrimental to the patient's condition or prognosis, such as for example the analysis of markers indicating myocardial infarction and heart failure. In these and similar critical situations, it is advantageous to perform such analyses at the point-of-care, accurately, inexpensively and with minimal delay.
Many types of immunoassay devices and processes have been described. For example, a disposable sensing device for measuring analytes by means of immunoassay in blood is disclosed by Davis et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 7,419,821, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. This device employs a reading apparatus and a cartridge that fits into the reading apparatus for the purpose of measuring analyte concentrations. A potential problem with such disposable devices is variability of fluid test parameters from cartridge to cartridge due to manufacturing tolerances or machine wear. U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,399 to Zelin, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses methods to overcome this problem using automatic flow compensation controlled by a reading apparatus having conductimetric sensors located within a cartridge.
Electrochemical detection, in which the binding of an analyte directly or indirectly causes a change in the activity of an electroactive species adjacent to an electrode, has also been applied to immunoassays. For an early review of electrochemical immunoassays, see Laurell et al., Methods in Enzymology, vol. 73, “Electroimmunoassay”, Academic Press, New York, 339, 340, 346-348 (1981).
In an electrochemical immunosensor, the binding of an analyte to its cognate antibody produces a change in the activity of an electroactive species at an electrode that is poised at a suitable electrochemical potential to cause oxidation or reduction of the electroactive species. There are many arrangements for meeting these conditions. For example, electroactive species may be attached directly to an analyte, or the antibody may be covalently attached to an enzyme that either produces an electroactive species from an electroinactive substrate or destroys an electroactive substrate. See M. J. Green (1987) Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B. Biol. Sci. 316:135-142, for a review of electrochemical immunosensors. Magnetic components have been integrated with electrochemical immunoassays. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,945,045; 4,978,610; and 5,149,630, each to Forrest et al. Furthermore, jointly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,419,821 to Davis et al. (referenced above) and U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,682,833 and 7,723,099 to Miller et al. teach electrochemical immunosensing devices and methods.
Microfabrication techniques (e.g., photolithography and plasma deposition) are attractive for construction of multilayered sensor structures in confined spaces. Methods for microfabrication of electrochemical immunosensors, for example on silicon substrates, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,051 to Cozette et al., the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. These include dispensing methods, methods for attaching biological reagent, e.g., antibodies, to surfaces including photoformed layers and microparticle latexes, and methods for performing electrochemical assays.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,795, Gibbons et al. disclose a sample dilution cartridge that relies on hydrostatic pressure. Jointly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,750,053 to Widrig et al., the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference, teaches sample metering based on a holding chamber with a capillary stop feature.
Notwithstanding the above literature, there remains a need in the art for improved immunosensing devices. The need also exists for improved devices and methods for metering and diluting samples, particularly in point-of-care analyte testing. These and other needs are met by the present invention as will become clear to one of skill in the art to which the invention pertains upon reading the following disclosure.